Donald Douglas Museum and Library

The Donald Douglas Museum and Library is now referred to as the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, California. The museum houses many of the Douglas Aircrafts the company created. The emphasis of the museum is on the history of this company and that of flight. The Santa Monica Airport was the first place the Douglas World Cruise was located and used from. This world cruiser was the first aircraft to make it around the world. It was designed in the 1930s, thus much of the museum artifacts are based on this time period and the first flights of the DC-3 Aircraft.

The Santa Monica Airport was very important during World War II, so there is a lot of history at the museum and library about its role and that of the aircrafts seen at the museum. Donald Douglas Jr. began the Douglas Museum and Library in 1974 as a way to show his family history. In 1989 the museum was renamed the Museum of Flying, in which more than just Douglas aircrafts were put on display. Now there are more than 50 vintage crafts in flying condition one can see at the museum throughout the week and weekends.